Access control apparatus
AssigneeThe Chamberlain Group, Inc.
InventorJames J. Fitzgibbon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lockset including a housing configured to be mounted at a secured entrance; a radio module supported by the housing, the radio module generating: an antenna pattern for communicating with a user device; and a squelch signal that prevents the radio module from receiving a credential signal from the user device when the user device is at one or more locations within the antenna pattern; and a processor in communication with the radio module, wherein the processor unlocks a deadbolt to permit entry into a secured area delimited by the secured entrance in response to the radio module receiving the credential signal from the user device.
Claims18
A lockset comprising:
- a housing configured to be mounted at a secured entrance;
- a radio module supported by the housing, the radio module generating:
- an antenna pattern for communicating with a user device;
- a squelch signal that prevents the radio module from receiving a credential signal from the user device when the user device is at one or more locations within the antenna pattern;
- and a processor in communication with the radio module, wherein the processor unlocks a deadbolt to permit entry into a secured area delimited by the secured entrance in response to the radio module receiving the credential signal from the user device;
- wherein the antenna pattern includes a primary lobe and one or more ancillary lobes, wherein the primary lobe projects in a directional manner away from the secured area, and wherein the one or more ancillary lobes project in a generally uniform manner outward from the radio module;
- and
- wherein the squelch signal encompasses the one or more ancillary lobes and prevents the radio module from receiving, via the ancillary lobes, the credential signal from the user device.
A radio module for a lockset, the radio module comprising:
- a primary antenna that generates an antenna pattern including a primary lobe and one or more ancillary lobes, wherein the primary lobe projects in a directional manner, wherein the one or more ancillary lobes project in a generally uniform manner, and wherein the primary antenna is configured to receive a credential signal from a user device;
- and
- a secondary antenna that generates a squelch signal that interferes with the one or more ancillary lobes to prevent the primary antenna from receiving the credential signal through the one or more ancillary lobes.
A method of operating a lockset, the method comprising:
- generating, by a radio module of the lockset, an antenna pattern for communicating with a user device;
- determining, by a processor of the lockset, whether a squelch signal trigger event occurred;
- broadcasting, by the radio module, a squelch signal in response to the processor determining the squelch signal trigger event occurred, the squelch signal preventing the radio module from receiving a credential signal from the user device when the user device is at one or more locations within the antenna pattern;
- stopping broadcast of the squelch signal upon expiration of a squelch signal broadcast timer, the squelch signal broadcast timer initiated by broadcast of the squelch signal;
- wherein the antenna pattern includes a primary lobe and one or more ancillary lobes, wherein the primary lobe projects in a directional manner away from the secured area, and wherein the one or more ancillary lobes project in a generally uniform manner outward from the radio module;
- and
- wherein the squelch signal comprises an interference signal that interferes with the one or more ancillary lobes to prevent the radio module from receiving the credential signal through the one or more ancillary lobes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.